Gaza’s Plight: A Mirror to the World’s Moral Compass

Imagine, if you will, the bustling streets of Valletta, our capital city. Now, picture those streets empty, barricaded, under constant threat of explosions. This isn’t a dystopian fantasy, but a reality for the people of Gaza. The question is, how did we, as a global community, let it come to this?

Genocide or Collective Punishment?

Gaza, a tiny strip of land along the Mediterranean, has been under Israeli blockade since 2007. The United Nations describes it as “one of the most densely populated places on Earth”. Yet, it’s also one of the most isolated, with severe restrictions on imports and exports. The International Criminal Court has warned that this could amount to collective punishment, a war crime under the Rome Statute.

Over 70% of Gaza’s population are refugees, descendants of those who fled or were expelled from their homes in present-day Israel during the 1948 Palestine war. They’ve been living in what the UN calls “an unliveable” situation for over a decade. The UN predicts Gaza will be uninhabitable by 2020, a prediction that’s already been surpassed.

Ecocide: The Silent Killer

While the world focuses on the human toll, Gaza’s environment is also under siege. The coastal strip is one of the world’s most heavily mined areas, with unexploded ordnance littering the land and sea. The Mediterranean, once a source of livelihood and sustenance, is now contaminated with raw sewage and chemicals from Israeli factories.

Gaza’s aquifer, the only source of fresh water, is severely depleted and contaminated. According to the UN, 97% of Gaza’s water is undrinkable. Yet, Israel continues to extract water from the same aquifer, exacerbating the crisis. This is ecocide, the destruction of the natural environment, a crime against humanity and the planet.

The Price of Impunity

Despite the overwhelming evidence of human rights abuses and war crimes, the international community has done little to hold Israel accountable. The UN has condemned Israel’s actions, but resolutions are routinely vetoed by the US. The EU, while critical, has continued to trade with Israel, including in the settlement goods that are illegal under international law.

Closer to home, Malta, with its strategic location and historic ties to the region, could play a significant role. Yet, our government’s response has been muted, focusing more on maintaining diplomatic relations than on advocating for human rights. We’ve offered aid, but aid alone is not enough. It’s time we start demanding justice.

In the words of Gaza-based Palestinian poet Reem Hilal, “We are not asking for much, just the right to live, to dream, to hope, to love, to be free.” It’s high time we, as a global community, start listening.

Join the global movement calling for an end to the blockade and for justice for the people of Gaza. Write to your local MP, sign petitions, and raise awareness. Because, as the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish wrote, “If the sea were boiling, we would make tea from its water.” The people of Gaza deserve more than just our sympathy; they deserve our solidarity and action.